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Blue Jays’ Brett Lawrie suspended four games for tirade

Third baseman will appeal and play Wednesday night, with controversial umpire Bill Miller working line next to him.

Blue Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie walks on to the field while umpire Bill Miller moves into position before Wednesday night's game. (CARLOS OSORIO / TORONTO STAR) | Order this photo

By Mark ZwolinskiSports Reporter

Wed., May 16, 2012

Blue Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie has been suspended four games for a helmet-throwing tirade in Tuesday night’s game.

Lawrie was also fined an undisclosed amount for what the league called his “aggressive actions.”

Lawrie will appeal, though, and play Wednesday night against the Yankees. In an interesting twist, umpire Bill Miller will be working the line at third base, one night after his controversial pitch calls in the ninth inning led to Lawrie’s rant.

“We will appeal it,” Lawrie said. “I feel like I have the right to explain my side of it, get my story out there. But you suck it up for now and go out and try and win a ball game tonight.

“I expected a suspension.”

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Lawrie went to the umpires’ room before game time to apologize to Miller.

There is no time frame for the appeal, but it’s expected Lawrie and Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos will have a hearing some time next week.

Lawrie said he’s not worried about the court of public opinion, which condemned him for his outburst.

“I don’t think about that at all,” Lawrie said. “I don’t worry about what’s happening there, or on the other side of the field. I worry about my own teammates and my team and about winning our next game.”

“The only thing I regret is the helmet hitting him . . . I never meant to do that,” Lawrie said.

“A lot of people are saying I threw it on purpose, but I didn’t. It was a very frustrating moment in the heat of the game. . . . bad luck.”

Lawrie also said he wasn’t going to let the entire affair get him down or change the way he plays.

“It’s part of the game. These things happen,” he said.

“It was over as soon as I left the dugout. I woke up with a smile on my face and you move on. You just play the game the way I’ve always played it. I don’t feel I have to change it and the only thing I’d change is throwing (the helmet) near him, because you can get a bad hop.”

Umpires’ calls and performance are reviewed nightly. Major league baseball announces if umpires are fined, but not if suspensions are handed out.

After the game, a fan also hit Miller with a cup of beer. The fan, who eluded security after being pointed out by Miller and Jays security, could face an assault charge if found.

Jays manager John Farrell didn’t think his team has a bad reputation with umpires for arguing pitches. In addition to Lawrie’s outburst Tuesday, slugger Jose Bautista and team home run leader Edwin Encarnacion have shown disgust with calls.

“When questionable calls take place, it’s just part of the game that feedback takes place,” Farrell said. “To say we’re more (vocal and gesticulate) more than other teams . . . I can’t see that.”

Farrell said he will speak to the team as a group about basics in the wake of the Lawrie affair.

“Other teams I’ve been associated with over the years, there were times you dealt with frustration,” Farrell said. “How you deal with it is the important thing. We’ve talked about it. We will have a meeting on it, and it goes back to what we talked about in spring training, that you control the things you can control.”

Neither Farrell nor Anthopoulos had any plans to dissuade Lawrie from being aggressive.

“I can’t blame Brett for getting mad,” Anthopoulos said.

Added Farrell: “There may be occasions when that happens and he will learn from those experiences, good and bad. We don’t want him to lose that passion.”

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